HII's Ingalls division wins Coast Guard contract

Huntington Ingalls Industries failed in its bid to design a new Coast Guard offshore patrol cutter, which is designed to replace medium endurance ships in the fleet.

But when it comes to building Coast Guard flagship cutters, the company appears to be doing fine.

HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss. recently received a $76.5 million advance procurement contract from the Coast Guard to purchase materials for the eighth national security cutter, Midgett.

"The long-lead material contracts give our shipbuilders the ability to immediately start construction of the ship if and when that contract is awarded," said Jim French, Ingalls' National Security Cutter program manager.

Ingalls will spend the $76.5 million on major components such as steel, the main propulsion systems, generators, electrical switchboards and major castings, the company said in a press release.

National security cutters are replacing the Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters, which entered service in the 1960s. Ingalls has delivered the first three national security cutters. The fourth will have builders' sea trials later this summer. The fifth will be christened in August and the keel for the sixth will be laid later this year, the company said.

That kind of steady success seemed to play in the company's favor when it submitted a bid to design the offshore patrol cutter, designed to operate beyond 12 nautical miles offshore. The Coast Guard whittled the group down to five, then chose three — HII not among them.

The decision was such a disappointment that HII and the other rejected firm, VT Halter Marine Inc., filed a protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO denied their case last month.

Consider this class

One of the more sensible ideas we've run across in this beat is a class sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It's not specific to veterans or the military, but listen up.

It's called the Family-to-Family class, and is designed for family members dealing with loved ones suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, major depression, schizophrenia, panic disorder, borderline personality disorder or other challenges. When someone in the family suffers from mental illness, family members must find a way to cope and to work with professional mental health caregivers.

The 90-minute classes run weekly from Aug. 14 to Oct. 30 in Hampton, location to be determined. Participants must be at least 18 years old.

To register, call Char Cate at 817-2960, Deb Myers at 339-1559 or Gail Aumun, 870-0789 — all in the 757 area code.

World War II – a North Carolina perspective

Author Kevin P. Duffus presents War Zone: World War II Off the North Carolina Coast as part of the Hampton History Museum's Port Hampton Lecture series on Monday at 7 p.m.

The book recounts the German U-boat menace that ventured far too close for comfort, with much of the action happening off the North Carolina coast, as beaches gave up wreckage, empty lifeboats and bodies.

Duffus will sign copies of his book following the presentation.

The event is free for museum members and $5 for non-members and includes entry into the Hampton History Galleries. The Hampton History Museum is located at 120 Old Hampton Lane.

Lessig can be reached by phone at 247-7821. Read the Hampton Roads Recon blog at hrmilitary.com.